Patent GB-973072-A (GB)
Title: Vehicles for travelling over land and/or water
Inventor: COCKERELL CHRISTOPHER SYDNEY
IPC: B60V1/00
Filed: 1960-04-01
Abstract: 973,072. Air cushion vehicles. HOVERCRAFT DEVELOPMENT Ltd. March 22, 1961 [April 1, 1960], No. 11677/60. Heading B7K. A vehicle or mobile platform at least partly supported above a surface by a cushion of pressurized gas formed and contained beneath the bottom of the vehicle, comprises means for creating a horizontal thrust on the vehicle, including a port formed in the bottom surface of the vehicle and opening into the cushion space, and means for varying the magnitude and direction of the horizontal component of the thrust produced by expulsion of fluid through the port. In Fig. 1, the vehicle 1 has an annular port 10 through which air is expelled from a peripheral duct 6 to form a fluid curtain enclosing a cushion 11 of pressurized air. Duct 6 is supplied through ducts 5 with air from a compressor 3 driven by an engine 4 and having an intake 2. A further duct 7 supplies air from the compressor to a port 8 in the vehicle under surface 9. The port 8 is traversed by a number of vanes 17, mounted on spigots in a cylindrical member 40, Fig. 6, rotatably mounted in a casing 41. Duct 7 has a flange 42 giving an airtight connection to casing 41. The upper rim of member 40 has teeth 53 engaged by a pinion 52 driven by a servomotor, so that the assembly of vanes can be rotated about a vertical axis. The vanes are pivotable about their longitudinal axes by an electric or hydraulic servomotor 45 connected to one vane by linkage 47, the vanes being connected to move in unison by a cross-member 44. Operation of the two servomotors thus controls the magnitude and direction of the horizontal component of velocity of the air discharged from the port. This means for providing propulsive and manoeuvring forces may be used with other types of air curtain, e.g. in Fig. 3, where the curtain is in the form of an annular vortex, air being discharged from an annular supply port 20, deflected upwards to an annular recovery port 21, and fed back to port 20 through duct 22 containing injector nozzles 23 fed with high-energy air from the compressor supplying port 8 or a separate compressor. In Fig. 4, the curtain air is discharged from an annular supply port 26, deflected upwards to an annular recovery port 27, and led to a compressor (not shown) before returning to the supply port 26. The cushion area may be subdivided by flexible members or further air curtains, and a secondary annular cushion may be formed outside the main cushion. The air cushion may alternatively be contained by a flexible or rigid material forming a plenum chamber with the under-surface of the vehicle, Fig. 5 (not shown). When the cushion is not formed, the vehicle may be supported on the surface by such a rigid curtain, or by legs or wheels, or such rigid curtain may be upwardly foldable so that the vehicle can rest on its undersurface. A fluid curtain may be supplied with steam or water, particularly when operating over water. Fig. 8 shows a vehicle with two ports 71, 72, each similar to that in Fig. 6, so that yawing torques can be produced. An annular fluid curtain is set up by a port 68 fed by ducts 67 from two impellers 60, 61, mounted on engines 64, 65, supported in intake ducts 62, 63, by struts 66. Where there is more than one air cushion provided, there may be a port opening into each cushion. The mass flow through any port 8, 71 or 72 may be variable. Propulsive airscrews may also be provided. Specifications 854,211, 893,715, 935,823 and 935,824 are referred to.